U.S. Tomcat fighter makes last carrier flight
The U.S. Navy’s F-14 Tomcat, built to protect the fleet from Soviet bombers, took its last flight off an aircraft carrier Friday, closing one of the final chapters in its 32-year history.

The retirement of the Tomcat, made famous in the movie “Top Gun,” clears the way for the Navy to start using new military aircraft that supporters say can meet post-Cold War requirements more affordably.

But for Tomcat pilots and aircraft enthusiasts, the end of the F-14 does not just mark an end of an aviation era — it signals a trend in U.S. government weapons spending that favors cost-cutting over performance.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14083611/